About us
We believe that the children of Cornwall deserve the best.
When you join us, you’ll be changing their lives for the better, as well as your own.
If you understand and believe in humane, relationship-based social work with children and families, we offer the opportunity to develop your social work career in an innovative and ambitious children’s service in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.
Social workers in Cornwall play a leading role in delivering effective and integrated frontline services, that safeguard the welfare of the most vulnerable children and young people in Cornwall.
They work in multi-disciplinary teams and in partnership with colleagues from different professions and agencies.
Our Children’s Services were inspected by Ofsted in October 2019 under the framework of the Inspection of Local Authority Children’s Service (ILACS).
Our overall rating of 'Outstanding' places Cornwall’s children’s social care service in the top 10% of services nationally despite lower levels of funding and significantly higher levels of deprivation than most.
- We have developed and embedded a strong learning and performance culture which has enabled our performance, direction and approach to be maintained through the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond
- We remain committed to continuously improving practice and service delivery- ‘building on outstanding,’ whilst also adapting and strengthening our teams’ resilience with enhanced support and flexible working practices during the pandemic
- We encourage and enable our best practitioners to stay in practice and reward them for their expertise and commitment to work directly with children and families
- We are committed to creating a healthy balance between your work life and your personal life
- We will also support your career progression and ongoing development through our outstanding Career and Qualification pathway and core curriculum, recognised by Ofsted, offering a high quality programme of learning to enhance your skills and practice
- We offer a competitive starting salary and the opportunity to increase your pay further as you progress
- We can provide flexible working opportunities, including part-time hours and homeworking; sponsorship for eligible social work candidates
- plus relocation support of up to £8,000 for candidates relocating to Cornwall
Our Social Work Teams
Early Help Hub
The multi-agency Early Help Hub is the single point of contact for professionals and families to request more than 20 health and early help services.
Multi Agency Referral Unit
Our Multi-Agency Referral Unit (MARU) is the single point of contact for social care referrals.
Family Assessment and Support Teams
The Family Assessment and Support Teams receive referrals from the MARU, are locality based and work with children and their families to assess support needs.
Gweres Teyluyow
Gweres Teyluyow offer a specialist service for families with primary aged children on the edge of care.
Gweres tus Yowynk
Gweres tus Yowynk offer a specialist adolescents’ service including Youth Justice Service, which supports young people age 13+ on the edge of care. Our Multi Agency Rapid Response Service (MARRS) is our new innovative extended hours service. This is a specialist service for young people in crisis and with significant mental health needs. It is a partnership between social care and health.
Disabled Children and Therapy Services
Disabled Children and Therapy Services undertake the majority of assessments and care planning in cases where children have severe and enduring disabilities and illnesses, including Occupational Therapy assessments, Early Support and Portage to the case management of child in need, child protection plans and children in care plans for disabled children.
Child Protection Teams
Child Protection Teams are locality based, and work with children and families through the court process.
Children in Care Teams
Children in Care Teams also work in localities supporting children in care.
16+ and Separated Children Seeking Asylum Service
16+ and Separated Children Seeking Asylum Service is responsible for recruiting and commissioning a sufficient range of placements to meet the needs of children in care and care leavers, as well as separated children seeking asylum. The team ensure that these young people are supported to make a safe and successful transition to adulthood and independence.
The Fostering and Adoption Services
The Fostering and Adoption Services provide the majority of placements for children in the care of the local authority and are responsible for recruiting, assessing and supporting sufficient foster carers and adopters to meet the needs of children in care where the plan is for adoption.
The Kinship Team
The Kinship Team is responsible for supporting the assessment of private fostering arrangements and potential special guardians. The Family Plus Team supports placements resulting from Residence, Child Arrangement and Special Guardianship Orders.
Find out more about Children's services
Stand up for social work
We know that our achievements are down to:
- front line practitioners
- and managers
working directly with children and families.
It’s their:
- values
- commitment
- professional skills
- and hard work
that make the difference.
Our success is also down to good partnership working.
You can’t deliver good children’s services without other agencies.
It’s also down to the way we work with children and young people, parents and carers.
In fact, they give us many of the ideas for our best work and most innovative and effective services.
‘Social workers told inspectors that they feel well supported by their managers and senior leaders and enjoy working in Cornwall. Social workers are capable, committed and are ambitious for their children’s futures and demonstrate a breadth and depth of skill and experience. These are qualities that are reflected in the positive outcomes that are being achieved for children in Cornwall’ (Ofsted 2022)
‘Social workers have a very good understanding of the children they work with; they visit them regularly and ensure that their needs are holistically well considered’
‘Staff development is delivered through an effective and well-targeted workforce development framework. Staff morale is high.’
'Children in care and care leavers benefit from access to an exceptional participation offer … they engage in a wide range of participation activities throughout their care are beyond. Their achievements are celebrated and they are involved in interview panels and have well established links with the corporate parenting board. This ensures the needs of children in care and care leavers are prioritised.' (Ofsted 2019)
We believe in humane, relationship-based social work practice with children and families. Our unified approach is marked by interventions that are strengths-based and pro-social learning. Our innovative practice and services reflect this approach, with inclusive ways of working such as the Family Partnership Model, Functional Family Therapy and Video Interaction Guidance.
We’re also a ‘Signs of Safety’ implementing local authority and partnership, with supervision standards based on Morrison’s 4 x 4 x 4 model. It all adds up to a whole-system approach to supporting families - And crucially, better outcomes for children.
Management Team
Our Strategic Director, Kate Evan-Hughes oversees Together for Families, the name for children's services run by Cornwall Council. This includes children's community health, education and social care.
We work with our partners who may provide for other services for children and young people under a plan called One Vision.
Ben Davies is our Service Director for Cornwall’s Children and Family Services, responsible for the full range of children’s social care services delivered by the Council as well as the Council lead for safeguarding children and the Agency Decision Maker for adoption and fostering.
Message from our directors
- Kate Evan-Hughes
Strategic Director | Together for Families - "Together for Families has a strong child-centred, family focused culture that is based on finding strengths. It is among the best performing local authorities in the country with staff who go the extra mile. ”
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Ben Davies
Service Director | Children and Families | Together for Families
"We have a service approach and culture which supports and empowers professional judgement, and where we invest in our people to develop their skills and capabilities to make a real difference to children and families. Our people are amazing - our biggest asset."
